This invention relates to juvenile seating products that include resilient side elements providing enhanced side impact protection. Such child safety seating products typically have a base that supports a seat on a vehicle seat. The seating products of this type are typically secured to the vehicle seat by the vehicle seat belts, or by a specialized latching device, such as an Isofix latch, carried on the seating product and interfacing with a complementary device carried by the vehicle seat.
While the invention relates broadly to juvenile seating products, it is further described and illustrated in this application with reference to a child safety seat of the type generally described above, it being understood that the invention is not so limited.
Child safety seats typically include a hard plastic shell to which are attach various fittings such as a seat occupant restraint harness and adjusting strap, securing latches, padding and a dress cover. Side torso protection is provided by the combination of the hard shell and the overlying padding. Head protection often includes separate outwardly-projecting side wings on the upper headrest part of the shell that limit the extent of sideways head movement and cushion the limited sideways head movement that does occur.
Head and torso side impact protection is thus provided by the hard plastic of the shell and the overlying protective padding elements. However, impacts sufficient to “bottom out” the outer padding layers can cause severe lateral movement of the entire seat with the potential of wrenching the seat from its anchoring elements and increasing the severity of injury to the seat occupant. Simply adding more and more side padding is not a satisfactory solution, in that it increases the weight, mass and volume of the seat. Increasing the weight and mass of the seat results in greater latent energy stored in the seat, and thus the potential for greater damage in the event of a severe side impact.
Therefore, there is a need for a child safety seat that provides enhanced side impact protection without an increase in weight, mass and volume.